It might feel like an anachronistic way to live, but it’s vital for a peaceful, joyful, sovereign life. The more we embrace this way, the better life gets. I find this way essential, not only to my well being, but also essential to embracing everything that comes my way. Living this way isn’t easy, at first (is anything easy at first?). But with practice, it gets easier.
I’m referring to the way of patience.
Having spilled that bean, I’m certain you now know, dear reader, why I wrote that it may feel anachronistic. Patience isn’t something humanity embraces these days. By “patience” I’m not talking about that frustrated, willingness to endure. By patience, I mean, accepting…embracing…the delay showing up between what is and what we want.
Accepting, embracing is the way of patience, I believe. Coming into this present moment, seeing everything as it is – even in the absence of that thing we think needs to be there for us to be happy – and being satisfied, is the practice. That practice leads to an even more profound – and elusive – practice: presence.
In presence we need nothing. Including that thing we think we need to be present for us to be happy. In presence we find no desire at all. Just pure awareness. Pure knowing. In presence we are our full, sovereign selves.
Presence is something I show my Positively Focused clients how to allow. This presence also makes up a huge part of my personal practice. It melts away impatience and striving. It frees me from needing. It reacquaints me with clarity. Clarity that everything — every thing — is as it is. And it’s all good.
The famous singer songwriter Sting, once wrote: “Forever conditioned to believe that we can’t live/We can’t live here and be happy with less.” He’s describing the state of the absence of patience, the absence of presence. Sting’s beautiful words could be simplified to this: “For every condition we believe we want, we can live happily without it.”
Not as lyrical, I know. But both sing accurately.
I’m finding deep satisfaction just being. Letting things be, and letting things I want, to unfold without me needing to pursue them. That, my friends, takes patience. Especially in this day and time. It may be anachronistic, but the peace it brings is worth it.